Post navigation

Beretta PX4 Storm pistol – Part 3

Today, we’ll look at the accuracy of the Beretta PX4 Storm. This has been an interesting review from the standpoint of all the comments I’ve seen. One reader said he was surprised that the velocity was so low (450+ f.p.s. in his gun with Silver Eagle hollowpoints) because the blowback made it feel more powerful. I never thought of that, but perhaps that is the big draw for blowback action – the power it conveys to the shooter.

Start close!Because I had no idea of the potential accuracy, I started shooting at 12 feet. I normally reserve such close distances for BB guns, but with repeaters that have blowback I know the accuracy will probably not be great. Starting close keeps everything safe. Naturally, I wear shooting glasses; because this gun shoots Crosman Copperhead BBs as well, I used a Quiet Pellet Trap.

Gamo MatchOne of the PX4 customer reviews mentioned success with Gamo Match pellets, so those were the first ones I tried. The first group looks great until you realize it was shot from just 12 feet. I’d normally group like this at 33 feet (10 meters) with a really accurate Umarex pistol such as the Colt M1911A1 or the S&W 586 revolver, so this isn’t as good as it looks. Yes, the PX4 Storm is also made by Umarex, and I wanted to say the blowback was the problem until I remembered that the Desert Eagle also has blowback and is very accurate. Something else is at work in this case.

This looks good until you realize it was shot from 12 feet. Eight Gamo Match pellets.

BBs were nextFor BBs I stepped up to just 10 feet, because they can really spray wildly. You can see from the resulting group that they aren’t as accurate as pellets, but they’re not that bad, either. Certainly they’re minute-of-pop-can at 20 feet. However, as I was going to back up to 25 feet and BBs were already drifting to the left, I stopped testing them here.

Crosman Copperhead BBs opened up at just 10 feet! They’ll tag a soda can at 20 feet but you’ll have to aim to the right. There were only 7 BBs, due to one falling out of the magazine just before loading.

Other pelletsI also tried RWS Hobbys, Crosman Silver Eagle wadcutters and H&N Finale Match to see if there’s a difference. If there is, I couldn’t see it. In fact, the Hobbys seemed to perform just as well as the Gamo Match. The H&Ns were slightly less accurate, though I didn’t shoot them enough to confirm that. Because they cost more, I figured why bother with them in an action pistol?

25 feetI shot from a strong side barricade position, which means I rested my right hand against a door jamb and used my left hand to steady the pistol. I used a strong spotlight on the target, so the sight picture would be clean for me, and I disregarded the three white dots on the sights. However, I still had my bifocals on and they were causing some double images of the front sight blade. That’s never good. The groups that resulted were in the 3″ range, though curiously centered in the bullseye. The better sight picture did away with the gun shooting to the left.

Shooting from a strong side barricade at 25 feet, 8 Gamo Match pellets opened up like this.

Glasses off!Finally, I took off my glasses so the sight picture would not look double. That gave me the best results from 25 feet, though the shots moved to the left again. All shooting was done using a 6 o’clock hold.

Glasses off made the front sight sharper, but this is still the best I could do.

So what?The PX4 Storm isn’t for target shooting, so why am I shooting it that way? Because you can’t accompany me as I plink at pop cans and balloons. I have to have something to show you and targets are a good medium ground. Shooters who buy the PX4 Storm are not looking for one-hand target accuracy, they’re seeking a fast-action pistol that can keep up with their shooting fun. I believe this pistol can do it.

What about jams?There have been some reports of jams with this gun. I bet I know how they happened, too. After shot number 32 (or 40, if you followed my earlier report) the shooter kept on shooting even though the gun sounded weaker and weaker. That’s a typical error for a new shooter with an action CO2 pistol. It happens with green gas airsoft guns as well. I think if you pay attention to the number of shots fired and to the sound of the gun, you can avoid any jams. I certainly had none in over 300 shots.

The bottom lineThis is the least-expensive pellet pistol with true blowback action and a rifled barrel. If that’s what you’re looking for, this is a fine airgun. If you want more accuracy with blowback and a rifled barrel, consider moving up to the Desert Eagle.

Is your accuracy testing with pistols from a standard rest unless you specify otherwise? So, for the first two short distances was it rested or offhand? And when you say that you can get most Umarex pistols to group within an inch at 25 feet, that’s rested……right?

I have decided to get the S410 ERBSL as my first PCP. I’ve been trying to put my order together and am running into problems with the hand pumps.

I had decided on the AirForce pump, but Pyramid Air told me they don’t sell a hose that will fit the AirForce Pump and ends with the female 1/8″ BSPP.

Also, the individual I spoke to recommended the Axsor as being of better quality. From what I can tell it doesn’t end with the correct fitting either. On the site it states that pump has male 1/8″ BSPP w/ an adaptor that ends in a female 1/4″ BSPP.

At the price these pumps are, I’m seriously concidering buying the Benjamin Discovery for the pump. That way I get what seems to be a great rifle for a little over $150.00.

Sorry I’m rambling, here are my questions:

If you were in my shoes, which pump would you chose? How do I make them end in the correct fitting?

Is the Benjamin Discovery pump of the same quality? Can I make it end in the female 1/8″ BSPP? (this deal is very hard to pass up)

Thank you for this blog and for patiently answering so many of my questions. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned about (spring)guns I’ve owned for years.

Furthermore, without your reviews, your input in the comment section, and the input of your readers, I would not have been able to gather the information I needed to finally take the plunge into the PCP world. I can’t wait!

I shoot handguns offhand with one hand unless otherwise specified. So those first two target were shot offhand with one hand.

When I talk about tight groups with Umarex pistols at 10 yards, yes, I am shooting from a rested position. When I talk about 0.20″ groups with a target pistol, that’s offhand with one hand. 10-meter pistol is my sport, so I can do pretty good with a good gun.

And don’t think for a moment that I haven’t thrown my share of pellets into the 6-ring. I even did it once in a regional match, when I didn’t watch the CO2 fill of my pistol. Almost bought a PCP target pistol that day. Good thing for me I was broke!

And, Matt, a pistol target is considerably larger than the rifle target, so keep some perspective on what I’m saying.

The AirForce pump is not lower quality than the Axsor pump. I own an Axsor and it’s a fine pump. Get it, if it works with the rifle, but know this – the AirForce pump has been tested for 50 straight hours of pumping. That’s nonstop! That would burn up an Axsor or an FX in about 30 minutes.

However, Pyramyd Air did have some returns of the first shipment of AirForce pumps for bad gauges. AirForce made good on all of them, but I think the experience left a bad taste in the mouths of the PA sales reps.

I have ordered the Benjamin Discovery PCP and want to know if the Mendoza Micrometer Sight, for an 11mm Dovetail can be used on this rifle with the stock front sight. If the front sight is too high or low can this be overcome?

That’s damned good shooting. It sounds equivalent to rifle shooting from a rest. I hope you do a blog on the match pistol shooting technique. I’m finding the one-handed hold with a heavy target pistol to be unintuitive; the gun is really hanging out there in the breeze. Things are coming along, but slowly.

This does’nt have to with this particular pistol, just that it reminds me of something I intended to ask you and forgot to …….

Is there any airpistol that runs on HPA ? Basically a PCP pistol. With magazine loading. Lets say 8-10 pellets. Semiauto preferably, but manual cocking will also do. Something in the power range of a HW45 or thereabout.

BB, I just noticed in an old thread something about the .22 cal Benjamin Discovery pellets and the Crosman Premier HP’s. Do you know if there had been a bad run of the Premier HP’s in the recent past?

I had bought 8 tins from pyramyd about a year ago and was absolutely thrilled with them. I shot through those and bought another 8 tins – and, my goodness, they are all over the place! Copperhead Wadcutters are outshooting them like crazy in all my .22′s, including my RWS48 which LOVED the previous batch.

I’ve also noticed a number of obviously deformed pellets mixed in, and many (if not most) of the others have very obvious casting seams on them.

i have an increasing problem with buzards and where i live it is illegal to shoot them but my question is wold a crosman 1077 give them a good wack and make them change there minds about pooping on my deck

Try a semi auto paintball gun. You can get several shots off before they can all leave ;-). I used to use one for bears on my back porch when I lived up in the hills. They hated it and would run like crazy trying to get away!

I just read your review from that link that you sent. Sorry it took so long. Busy week… My first thought was, “This guy definitely owns a 513!” Thanks for that link! I think I’m going to have to loktite the screws on mine. They keep backing out every 100 shots or so and the I’ve now noticed that the loose screws affect which pellet it likes. Seems like these are like my reloading for my other guns. Change one thing on the gun and you’re almost back to square one in load development.

BB Off topic question, but I want to know if ever you’ve dealt with an inaccuracy problem caused by temperature? Rather, lets say you’re out plinking, or just starting. You load, pump (multi-pump), and fire. First or second shot are off, and after awhile they tighten up accuracy. Leaving the rifle for an hour, you again load and start plinking and find they are off again. Do multi-pumps or other rifles require a “warm-up”, and if you want to hunt with the rifle, should you zero it while cold: shots every 10 minutes or so for cool-down? JP

so you are saying it’s not strong enough?…some one pulled out a knife on me when i confronted them while they where trying to break into my car…plus i be hearing people sneaking around in my back yard and i need something to scare tem off,maybe hurt’em a lilbit for trespassing…thats what i ment for self defense

Airgun Academy Links

Search

Search

This pup has teeth!

With 200 ft-lbs. of knockdown power, the .357 Benjamin Bulldog bullpup delivers real knockdown hunting power. When you hunt, you want enough power to do the job…and that's where the Bulldog shines. Plus, its huge 340cc reservoir gets more shots per fill than most other big bores.

4,500 psi hand pump!

You've gotten used to hand pumps that heat up, require time to cool off and stop at 3,000 psi. Time for a change! The Air Venturi G6 hand pump lets you pump up to 4500 psi and can be pumped for hours without heating up. Of course, all pumps require regular maintenance, so we've included enough parts for you to rebuild it 5 times.